Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 57 | Page 36

EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
AMY O ’ CONNOR , CHIEF DATA AND INFORMATION
OFFICER , PRECISELY
Research from IDC shows that while 63 % of data practitioners believe they are expected to make data-driven decisions , only 27 % completely trust the data they are working with . quality and security to comply with the latest data governance standards .
The ability to trust data is paramount , but for data to be trustworthy , it needs to have integrity . Businesses must develop a foundation comprising the core pillars of data integrity : data integration ; data quality and governance ; location intelligence ; and data enrichment . By doing so , businesses will be better prepared to manage risks , provide better customer experience , reduce costs and move faster due to confident decision-making .

Data is at the heart of any technology-driven change or strategic decision made by an organisation . However , a key challenge for businesses when it comes to data is one of trust . In fact , new research from IDC shows that while 63 % of data practitioners believe they are expected to make data-driven decisions , only 27 % completely trust the data they are working with . This illustrates an urgent need for businesses to bridge a data trust gap between the expectations placed on the use of data and the ability to trust that data to make confident decisions . For example , businesses that want to incorporate Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) or automation in their business operations need to be able to trust their data in order to ensure successful outcomes . After all , AI is only as good as the data it ’ s fuelled by .

Many enterprises have established a basic foundation for data-driven decision-making and automation , but they are also still reporting significant struggles in the quest to develop and maintain data integrity at scale . The challenge of achieving trustworthy data at scale will only increase in importance in the years to come as businesses continue to rely on AI , Machine Learning ( ML ) and other advanced analytics to inform strategic and tactical decisions . There is a way to go before many business leaders can say that they truly trust their data , but data executives should start by preparing to build a sound data integrity strategy to lay the foundations for success .
For global institutions , there is also the added pressure of worldwide regulations which demand an understanding of where the data has been gathered as well as being able to prove its accuracy , validity and security . What complicates this is that regulations are constantly evolving . And while those regulations often cover data privacy , ensuring customer data is protected against inappropriate use is of utmost importance for any business that expects to build and maintain excellent relationships with their customers . It ’ s all about trust . It is therefore vital that organisations proactively maintain data
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